Since my brother was visiting us in Budapest - well, he actually had other business to attend, but those matters were resolved quite fast - my boyfriend and I decided to take him to Vienna. For him it might be like a vacation inside a vacation, or a trip inside of a trip, and what a wonderful experience! After all, when you are visiting a place, ddon't you love it if you have the chance to visit other places too? ^_^ For us, on the other hand, it was a chance, or maybe an excuse to go visit a city we love very much (though I may love more than my boyfriend, since I really take any chance available to visit Vienna!). A city full of music, history, romance, art and endless beauty... and friends. Yes, one of my penpals lives here, but - unlike in other occasions - we couldn't get in contact, which prevented us from meeting as usual, for a good cup of coffee and a long and never ending conversation.
The city is blooming with the most wonderful flowers all over the place. I'm not very versed in botanics, but I can tell tulips from other types of flowers, and these are simply breath taking. It never ceases to amaze me how such beautiful flowers are kept in different parts of town and there's nobody damaging them, or taking them home, as it would happen in Costa Rica. Present in the most amazing colors, their sheer sight brings endless joy to the soul. It is at looking at these flowers that you get an understanding about the importance of flowers in one's life. Looking at them in the gardens, you understand their beauty, what they do for the scene, and why it's so awesome to get flowers as present, or buy a beautiful bouquet of them to arrange at your place. Hve you noticed how much a vase of flowers can do for a room?
This year was the first time - by the way - that I've ever seen pink and purple tulips. Aren't they something else?? In a matter of hours I became absolutely in love with tulips. I have heard of black tulips but have never seen them in real life still.
The weater changed quite some, getting much warmer than expected, and thus rendering the clothes I packed for myself pretty unadecuate. It is Spring, and this Spring has been acting a little bit cold, so of course I packed only long sleeve shirts. Well, it seems it changed its mind, or maybe egged by the coming of Beltane or May Eve, it decided to go on and heat up. As result, I was pretty much "compelled" to go get myself cooler clothes. I've a pretty thin pair of jeans, but I needed short sleeve tops for it, so without further ado, I went today at the shop under our lovely hotel - an Esprit - and got myself a lovely white blouse and two green tees... Sorry, but I really needed AND wanted those ^_^.
We took a walk close to the Prater, but didn't go much inside, because our main program was to visit the Schönbrunn, where I've got yet another book about Empress Sissi. Yes, yet another book. I hope it's not one of the same I've at home already, as sometimes the translations can be misleading, but if so, then I'll have a wonderful gift for a good friend in my hands.
As many of you know, currently I'm not working, though I can't be called unemployed for I'm on leave, so you may wonder that if I'm not working, if I'm waking up at any time I feel like, going to sleep at any time I feel like, and doing all day pretty much what I feel like, what do I need to take a break from. Well, though I love my Hungary and I'm crazy about my marvelous Budapest, it's good to change the scenary from time to time, get a new air, stretch your legs and change your perspective. And from the well learned streets, our favorite hotel (I'm including you the link of it because if you are planning on visiting Vienna, you should seriously consider staying at Hotel-Pension Continental. I've visited Vienna around 10 times by now, and only in two of them stayed at a different place... and regreted it every single time... both times), and our regular places, we've also discovered new and fabulous things. Learned about a concert program we will make sure to attend the next time, and with includes a fabulous mix of Mozart and Strauss, approached the Herrengasse from another direction, actually walked to the Stephansdom... and I discovered a statue of Schiller that had the power to undust the name from my memory and yearn to read him with the desperate urgency of sweet, firey, intellectual and emotional passion. One statue, and I was tumbling my Kindle for everthing I could foung in amazon.com about him and from him.
I wouldn't say that no particular thoughts have formed yet, no new lessons have been learned, but rather that many seeds have been planted in my soul from the tulips, the streets, the sweet sounding of Austrian German, sprinkled abundantly with sweet smiles and Sachertorte, and Schiller... oh master Schiller. I'll take these seeds to my resting palace, my Budapest, and there kindle them, cherish them and see what new thoughts spring from them.
With Vienna there's a simple thought, like a word wispered from the wise that keeps echoing inside me: "even in the well known and the rutinary you can always find something brand new to learn, if you are willing to".
3 comments:
you know, this is the thing I love about camping, it's always a trip in a trip (unless you stay at the very place for a week and do nothing else than lying at the beach or having a bbq at the site)
Haha, even though I am Austrian, Vienna appears to be a different world to me. I have been there several times but hardly ever over night. It's weird, isn't it? I think capitals are always a lot different from the rest of the country.
It's great to hear you got the hang of tulips. I really miss them... Well there've been a few here around March but they were rare and only plain red or yellow (though these are my favs)
Esprit is a place where I could spend hours (both in a real shop or online - again a thing I really miss here)
thanks for the link btw, Phil and I are going to spend a night in Vienna to see a concert. We'll check it out.
I agree with you! Capital cities are always a world appart from the rest of the country. I've friends in Costa Rica who live and work in the capital city (San José) and can't possible think about living it unless they are going somewhere for vacations!
Say, if you are preparing for a classical concert, if you like we could coordinate, so Kari and I go there too, and meet up in Vienna!
uhm, well it's actually the exact opposite. We'll see the German Punk Band Die Ärzte, which was Phil's favourite ever since he was old enough to buy CD's and since they're close to their 50th birthdays I thought I'd better join him or I'll probably never get the chance to see them... sorry to disappoint you.
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